THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN

Mitchard's first novel was the first ever Oprah book, and it's easy to see why. The plot alone--the lost child returned--is almost mythical in its power. One minute Beth Cappadora is a happily married mother of three--the next minute her favorite child, 3-year-old Ben, is missing. And he remains missing for 10 years. Dana Ivey propels the listener forward, first capturing the vacuum of Beth's disintegration and then the return of her will to put herself back together for the sake of the family she has left. Ivey's characterization of Ben--as the fearful little one who asks if "the ocean has a deep end," and then as the confused, uprooted adolescent who is returned to a family of strangers--is utterly heartbreaking. E.K.D. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 01]